Activities during COVID lockdown 
Social Service Council, 
IIT(BHU) 
 

Session 2019-20 
April to July, 2020 
 

   

 
 

Contents 
1. Jagriti 2020 
2. Kashi Utkarsh activities 
3. Sahyog Club activities 
4. Social Projects’ Club activities 
5. HHC* in Mess Workers and Hostel staff welfare works.  
6. Alumni - interactive sessions 
7. Emergency Food team 
8. Emergency Health team 
9. Emergency Education team 

​ ealth and Hygiene Club 

*HHC: H

   

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1. Jagriti 2020 
Annual social celebratory weekend! 
27th to 29th of March 

To  provide  a  platform  to  create  awareness  about  prevalent  social  problems  and 
address  them  to  and  an  issue  the  council  celebrates  an  annual  social  festival, 
Jagriti.  Jagriti  is  our  endeavour  to  reach  out  to  more  and more people to develop 
a  culture  of  participation in social-impact oriented activities. Everyone has a desire 
to  contribute  to  the  community.  This  is  the  right  platform  to  help  and  grow 
simultaneously.  The  council  gives  an  opportunity  to  develop  a  sense  of 
responsibility  for  the  society  of  which  we  are  an  integral  part  and  to  lead  a 
purposeful life.  
Activities! 

Jagriti  ‘20  brings  a  plethora  of  competitions,  events,  workshops  and  guest 
lectures​; a glimpse into what the current generation can achieve. 
Competitions:   
● Kōan​ ​- Case Study competition on Technology in Education! 
● Ex-Nihilo​ ​- Waste to Best competition! 
● Abhivyakt​ - Online expression platform through Art! 
● Stats Impact​ ​- Competition to use Data Science for Social Good! 
● Social Innovation Challenge​ - Think Beyond, for Societal Benefits! 
Guest Lectures: 
● Priyanka Bakaya, Founder and CEO of Renewlogy 
● Amitabh Mehrotra, Founder SPARC India 
Guest Lectures: 
● Mr. Omprakash Mishra, Globally acclaimed Teacher and Author 
● Dr Urvashi Sahni, Founding President and CEO of SHEF 
● Mr. Carlyle Pereira, Chief Program Officer at ARMMAN 
● Mr Ajitesh Raj, Patna City Coordinator, Bhumi 
Kya Corona Session: 
● Dr. Shikha Pawar, Associate Director & Head, Critical Care Medicine, 
Sarvodaya Hospital 

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Going completely online! 

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Event Wise Summary: 

 

Event  #Participants  #Qualifiers  #Winners 

Koan  50  23  8 

Ex Nihilo  18  11  4 

Stats Impact  19  14  7 

Innovation Challenge  90  28  7 

Aarohan  FB Live  -  - 

Guest Talks  FB Live  -  - 

Abhivyakt  90  -  - 

Kya Corona?  FB Live  -  - 

Overall Summary: 
Website  ssciitbhu.org 

Total Participations  400+ 

IIT (BHU) Participants  38 

Organising Team (SSC Council  Around 150 

Volunteers) 

Complete List (Participants)  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e3O5VExo

rxwcvYNwGHOcGStmiv2QWDW6/view?us
p=sharing 

Complete List (Organisers)  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Yk3Kf9pos

Esgh7drOXIhr-mKknd6I-B3/view?usp=shar
ing 

Total Budget  Nil 

Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/jagriti.iitbhu/ 

   

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2. Kashi Utkarsh Activities  

Work during the Covid-19 times in​ bastis 

Lahartara  Basti:​   In Lahartara basti, during the initial days of the lockdown, food was distributed to 

the  needy  by  NGOs,  and  later  people  were  supplied  food  from  by  the  Government.  Monetary 
help  was  given  to  those  who  were  in  desperate  need  and  those  who  were  not  getting  proper 
help.  Volunteers  are  in touch with the parents and we tried to inform them about the measures to 
be  taken  care  of  during  this  pandemic. Few people lost their livelihood and are surviving on food 
grains  from  the  ration  shop.  Since  last  month  everything  is  normal  and  no  help  is  required  now. 
But still, volunteers are in contact with their respective families. 

Patiya  basti​:  In  Patiya  basti,  there  are  many  people  who  are  not  having  enough  money  to  buy 
food.  Most  of  the  people  in  the  basti  are  migrants  and  they  do  not  have  Aadhar cards. We don’t 
have  phone  numbers  of  everyone  in  the  basti,  we  have  only  a  few  phone  numbers,  so  we 
contacted  them.  They  faced  a  lot  of  difficulties  during  this  time.  Volunteers  tried  contacting  the 
NGOs  distributing  food  and  requested  them  to  distribute  in Patiya as well. They were successful. 
NGO  Robinhood  army  provided  food  to  them  later on the government itself made arrangements. 
Some  people  on  the  other  side  of  basti  were  unable  to  get  food  due  to some misunderstanding 
by  the  government  official  regarding  their  area  so  the  fund  was  collected  from  KU  Alumni  and 
was  given  to  the  people  in  basti  once.  Later  on,  Unlocking  started  so  the  food  issue  was 
resolved.  Various  NGOs  are  also  working  in  that  area.  It  is  ensured  that  the  most  basic  need 
which  is  food  is  fulfilled  for  everyone  in the basti. Financial help to one more family was provided 
amid this lockdown by our Alumni. 

   

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3. Sahyog Club Activities 

The  New  Approach:  ​The  decision  to  continue  our  work  through  online  modes. Contact students 
of  the  schools  and  help  them  with  their  work  and  also  send  them  different  activities.  The 
mediums to be WhatsApp and phone calls. 

What we did:  

● Contacted NGOs and some organizations like SHEF, ThinkZone which were teaching
through online modes. Asked them about their delivery of content to the students to get
an idea for the work and activities that we can do.

● Started a series of posts on Facebook called ‘Edunnovation’ in which we shared

information about different innovations in the education sector during the lockdown
period.
● Contacted the parents of students of the schools to spread awareness about this
pandemic and tried to find out if they were facing any difficulties in managing their
households.  

 
Work done in schools: 

TIKRI SCHOOL: (Volunteers POI: Vikash Prajapati, Yashvi Bansal, Arihant Jain)

● Collected contacts of students from teachers and fellow students. Created a database of
the students and asked for Whatsapp availability. Currently, we are in contact with 53
students from the school from class 6 to 8.

● We created a Whatsapp group of the students and teachers of the school along with the
school volunteers. We send some stories, and students share different artworks and
videos of the poems, stories, etc.

● Called the students twice since then and did a reading activity on phone calls.

Drawbacks:

● Could not establish contacts with more number of students.

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● It was decided to call the students twice/thrice a week and send activities accordingly.
Still, it was not done as there was no proper response to the activities carried on
Whatsapp and no regular phone calls were made to the students due to exams of
volunteers and mismanagement.

ASHADEEP SCHOOL:(Volunteers POI: Paras Jain, Archit Goyal, Sahil Jain)

● Tried to get contacts of students through the Principal. We were successful in connecting
with class 9th students.

● Most of them had access to the internet. Therefore we made a WhatsApp group in which
we send Articles, Maths quizzes, Current affairs biweekly.

● At the end of every week, we take an online quiz with the help of google form on the
content discussed during that week, in this way, their progress is monitored.

Drawbacks:

● Cannot connect with more students.

● No alternative to WhatsApp education planned.

SUNDERPUR SCHOOL:(Volunteers POI: Mohit, Ayush Thakur, Sanjul Sharma)

● Obtained Contact numbers of students from respective class teachers and maintained a
database. Thirty-two contacts were obtained from class 1 to 5.

● During the initial days of lockdown, we contacted parents/guardians of school students

to spread awareness about this pandemic and tried to find out if they were facing
difficulties in managing their households.

● Possibilities of conducting our club activities through WhatsApp. However, very small of
students were in contact with their class teacher through the WhatsApp group.

● Later, it was decided that activities will be provided through the call, and the progress of
students will be maintained. The events would be such that it can be performed with
household resources.

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Drawbacks
● Could not conduct activities through WhatsApp because of the unavailability of android
phones and internet connection among students.

● Parents were not at home during the day, so phones were not available for tutoring.

ADITYA NAGAR SCHOOL:(Volunteers POI: Aditi Mall, Sameer Singh, Naveen Mall)

● Found the contact numbers of 20 students with the help of teachers and few other
students of Aditya Nagar school.

● We organized various school meetings to discuss our role and work for the learning of
students during this phase.

● We have been calling various students and asking them about their academics and
health. We also told them about the preventive measures they should take to avoid any
health issues.

● Prepared the content which is to be sent to the students through WhatsApp if possible
otherwise through messaging.

Drawbacks
● Could not get contacts of all the students.

● Because of the age and financial condition of children, it's difficult for them to use mobile
phones appropriately.

Future Plans: 

● Collect contacts of maximum students from the school teachers and the students whose
connections are available.

● Calling will be the medium to connect with students. If there is Whatsapp availability with
students, then we will create groups and send activities there. Proper feedback from
students and maintain regular contact with them.

Edunovation  Series:  ​A series of weekly posts on the Facebook page from May 26 to June 26,
about very inspiring minds, people, and works that didn’t let the lockdown to cease the
‘education’ process of students. 

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4. Social Projects’ Club Activities 

Project Initiation: ​The project, that was ideated and discussed in January of this year, took a new
form and was worked since the end of April, this year. A brief overview of the project is
undermentioned.

Introduction:- Initiation is an online platform that forms a vast social network of dedicated
people to tackle the present and upcoming social problems with a proper record of them to
create a better world.

Motive: The main motive behind Initiation is -

● To create a problem repository with proper ground details and also to bring together all the
dedicated social workers to tackle the social problems with their innovative ideas.

● It provides a platform for all individuals to pitch their ideas on the basis of their dedication.

Stages: There are two stages of this project:-

● Firstly it will be launched through Telegram (It will help us to understand the challenges in this
project so that we can do a better job in the 2nd stage).

● The final aim of our project is to launch a website for Initiation. (It will enable us to handle a
large number of members in a proper, systematic and user-friendly way).

Conclusion:-

1. The Telegram version is already launched on 11th July 2020.

2. Till now no work has been started for the website version but we are acquiring skills for the
same and will be started soon.

​ series of contents in the form of a combination of posters, captions,

BOOKS  OF  SOCIETE:  A
animations, etc, were made and posted every week in the Facebook page since June 1 till July
6, about handpicked examples in the world where we see how technology, innovation,
entrepreneurship, and startups go hand in hand to enhance social work, thereby sensitizing the
message and spreading inspiration.

​ welve students of Social Projects’ Club, who had qualified the

Smart  India  Hackathon  ‘20:  T
campus round, appeared for the online evaluation round of Smart India Hackathon, wherein,
simulations were made about our hardware projects and submitted.

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5. Health and Hygiene Club’s works in Mess Workers and 
Hostel staffs welfare works. 
After our council successfully conducted Jagriti, and as lockdowns were extended, few of us
decided to talk to our college's worker community. We learned that while guards and cleaners
were to receive salaries on a regular basis, the mess and canteen workers along with dhobis
were on their own. And therefore we decided to take an initiative. Few Parliamentarians had
been trying to work for the same cause but had failed due to a lack of data and coordination.
Our team comprising of members of the council began working for exactly what was lacking. We
started digging details of the workers and intended to make a list of all the workers along with
their details. We gradually involved the parliament, including the hostel committee, and then
convinced DoSA to make this movement official and thus this initiative was taken on an institute
level. We were soon joined by HEC, caretakers, and the council of wardens. While the institute
was initially willing to send help to mess and canteen workers only, our team convinced them to
also include dhobis. Our team consistently dug up data, maintained them initially, and verified it
on our level. Further verifications were done by the administration as well.

As of now, payment for a sum of Rs. 4400/- each to a total number of 249 beneficiaries (Mess
workers, Canteen workers, and dhobis) has been sent till date to SBI, IIT (BHU) for making
payment to those workers whose complete details i.e. bank account number, IFSC, beneficiary
name, photocopy of passbook, bank verified documents, etc. were available in the office of
Annual Accounts and Balance Sheet Section of the Finance Office of the Institute. However,
there were several cases where photocopies of bank passbooks and/or bank document details
are not legible. The Hostel administration has been requested to provide complete details
including legible photocopies of passbooks, bank verified documents, etc. of remaining
beneficiaries (Mess workers, Canteen Workers, and Dhobis) at the earliest so that payment
instruction for remaining beneficiaries may be sent to the Bank without any further delay.

However, it may be mentioned here that since the start of unlocking down in June 2020, the
offices were having curtailed working hours for most of the period with reduced staff strength as
per the Government of guidelines and only for urgent and emergency services. Subsequently,
due to MHRD guidelines, the offices of the Institute were closed from 4th July up to 31st July
2020, except for emergency services. Also, due to the detection of one COVID positive test in

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the Finance office, the offices of the Admin block were completely closed from 7th July up to
19th July. These offices have reopened from 20th July for three hours a day with minimum
number of staff and that too only for urgent and need-based works. In spite of these heavy odds
and constraints, institute staff has been able to prepare statements for sending mandates to the
bank for transferring the amount to the accounts of 249 beneficiaries.

Moreover, due to the sudden spike in COVID cases in Varanasi in recent days, most of the staff
are not in a position to come to the office due to the declaration of many areas as containment
zones. The team along with the office is trying their best to transfer the amount to the remaining
beneficiaries as soon as we receive desired information and documents related to the bank
accounts of workers in a credible way.

We're hopeful that help shall reach to rest of the workers by the end of this month. The money
for further phases has been planned and obtained already.

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6. Alumni - interactive sessions 

Social Service Council Alumni Workshop Series & Updates on its outcomes
 

Origin:  ​On May 12, through contact, our recent alumni, Rishi Raj bhaiya, Dr. Munish Bindal
(CHE ‘93 passes out, currently Assistant Profesor at RTU, Kota; who started an emergency
crisis addressing project, helping out a wide sector of people in Kota in getting food,
services, etc with his student volunteers) discussed his social project (which has now
manifested into a social platform called “initiation”) and new initiatives, with other alumni in
his circles including Prof.P.K.Mishra of IIT(BHU).

On further discussions, two points surfaced that provided rationale for the workshop.

1. As part of project proposals and discussions with Mr.Munish Bindal, he enlightened about
skills in social service or humanitarian activities which could be a boon to us and may
improve our way of working to all clubs of social service council.

2. Prof. P. K. Mishra sir has been supervising various social sector activities in Varanasi
representing IIT BHU, he wished to have a brainstorming session with our social service
council volunteers, to see if we could take his help, and make a more significant impact,
uplifting a significant part.

On May 14, 2 pm, an online council meeting was organized where it was mutually decided
that we shall have the workshop series from May 19 to May 22.

Synopsis of workshop series held on May 19 to 22: 

Day-1: 7 pm, May 19, 2020

Speaker: Prof.K.N.Bhat

Description: On understanding the dynamics of social works and socio-economic projects

Recording: ​http://rb.gy/dajruk

Day-1: 8 pm, May 19, 2020

Speaker: Mr.Bimlendra Jha

Description: (1990 Ceramics pass out), Ex CEO Tata Steel, United Kingdom; Ex MD & CEO
Ambuja Cements

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On Objectives of pan India social impact, and how IIT(BHU) students can be a part of it.

Recording: ​http://rb.gy/dajruk

Day-2: 7 pm, May 20, 2020

Speaker: Prof P K Mishra

Description: (1986 Chemical IIT Roorkee) Prof.Chemical engineering, IITBHU would explain
about various socio-economic projects and works running in Varanasi, for 20years.

Recording: ​https://rb.gy/6h1gs8

Day-3: 7 pm, May 21, 2020

Speaker: Prof.P.K.Mishra & Mr.Munish Bindal

Description: The interaction session with Prof.P.K.Mishra(who has been into social activities
for 20years, as in discussed yesterday's session) and Mr.Munish Bindal(1991 Chemical
alumnus, has been working with social projects since 1988).

Recording: ​https://rb.gy/teckos

Day-1: 7 pm, May 22, 2020

Speaker: Dr.Niloptal Goswami

Description: In our previous session, we saw explored various ways we can make an
impact, today's session will be the role of government in creating impact: the realities &
plans, by a CAG himself.

Recording: ​https://bit.ly/2V34Ekn

Outcomes: 

In the interactive session, Prof.P.K.Mishra briefed about various social activities happening
in Varanasi in his influence and discussed ways in which our Social Service Council
Volunteers could join hands and make a productive impact. Besides, the workshop session
conclusively gave the idea of the need to work in this pandemic situation.

An online council meeting was organized on May 23, 2 pm with Aanchal, Akshat, Aman,
Ankit, Anshu, Arihant, Bhavika Debanirmalya, Kshitiz, Laya, Prajwal, Pranav, Piyush,
Sanjul, Sahil, Sahil Nag, Sunidhi, Sunil, Varnit and Yashvi being present.

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In the meet, it was decided that

- Long term activities and ideas of how SSC volunteers can work with the Prof.P.K.Mishra
will be discussed post-summer break when college re-opens.

- For this lockdown period exclusively, only till when college is off, we shall form emergency
teams targeting 1.Food(current SPOC: Yashvi) , 2. Education(current SPOC: Ananya
Gupta), and 3.Health (Sunil Khandelwal).

- Interested members can join the group they are interested teams and the point of contact
for Education, Hunger, and Health team were Laya, Sanjul, and Sunil respectively.

- The point was raised that Skill training and imparting entrepreneurship lessons to people is
also emergency, Akshat(SPC, first year) will be the Point of contact, but this emergency
group will be formed only after exploring if we can play a role by discussing with Prof. P. K.
Mishra

SELP SESSIONS FOR SSC VOLUNTEERS 

Mr.Salil Bhalla(Chemical Engineering 1991 batch, IIT-BHU) is a SELP Coach (refer more at
https://www.landmarkworldwide.com/advanced-programs/self-expression-and-leadership-pr
ogram​), SELP is a leadership program that costs around Rs.23,000), besides being IIM-C
alumnus holding a position in Jubilant Life Sciences, started his own venture in Greater
Noida.. Having heard about our recent alumni workshop held between May 19-21, and
works social service council volunteers were doing, He came forward to coach SSC
volunteers with SELP for free is currently conducting sessions for volunteers.

The recording of Mr.Salil Bhalla's one workshop for RTU, Kota students who are part of the
Covid-19 crisis team:​https://rb.gy/gii311​.

So far 3 sessions have been done for registered SSC volunteers,

Day1: Recording: ​https://rb.gy/xe4m9s

Day2: Recording: ​https://rb.gy/jod8kd

Day3: Recording: ​https://rb.gy/rqpiri

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7. Food for All  

Emergency Food Response Team  

Story of inception:
We called the students of the four schools in which Sahyog volunteers visit to ask about their
knowledge of the pandemic and their well-being. A few days later, a student’s parents called to
tell us about the shortage of food supplies and no money and job. They had exhausted the
savings and somehow managed with the existing food stock they had. Through the Public
Distribution System, they only got 5 kg rice and 5 kg wheat once or twice in a month. This was
not able to help the family of 5.

Work we did:
We then called the Asha Workers of Tikri and Saraidangri (Villages from which the school
children came) to enquire about the conditions there and got to know that many people were
suffering, lots of them did not possess ration cards but few were given rice and wheat by signing
on a paper, some were taking loans from other villagers.
We talked to the village Pradhan of Tikri, but he said everyone was getting rice and wheat and
was not of much help.

We formulated a proper dedicated team (Emergency Food Response Team) for this. By then,
we had collected data of households that were facing the worst conditions through Asha
Workers, ANM, and from available contacts of villagers. We got contacts of 11 families through
the whole process who were in need.

We contacted the Robin Hood Army and Roti Bank for help, but they were out of resources and
funds to help more people.
We then got help from PK Mishra Sir (Professor, Chemical Department, IIT-BHU) and Brijesh
Singh Sir (Alumni and founder L1 coaching, Varanasi) in ration distribution. They provided ration
for the families listed out by them. Nine families were able to get ration (wheat, rice, sugar, oil,
salt and spices) for a month along with some money.

We also tried to get help from the administration. We contacted the BDO of that area to help
them get a job after the lockdown was lifted. Few people got jobs at the construction sites at IIT
BHU.

Future Plans: 

● Provide ration to 2 families that were left.

● Contact the families and ask for their previous employers. Call those employers and ask
them if they can give those people jobs.

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● Search some NGOs/ contacts through whom we can provide ration to the people who
are not able to get the jobs.
 
Drawbacks in work: 

● We established contacts with eleven families but could help only nine due to lack of
resources.
● The work did not continue due to exams and inefficiency in working. 

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8. Emergency Health team 

On  21st  May  2020  a  meeting  was  conducted  Prof.  P.K  Mishra  wherein  he  proposed  to  make  a 
special  group  of dedicated volunteers whose primary focus would be availing facilities in the field 
of health and addressing the related concerns. 

Our  volunteers  came  up  with  interesting  ideas  such  as  building  a  platform,  testing  coronavirus 
positive  people  with  the  help  of  thermal  scanners,  providing  them  with  gloves  and  sanitizing 
bastis, and schools that we visit frequently.  

We contacted Pradhan ji of Naseerpur village to get sanitization updates in his area.  

We  talked  to  several  people  from  Kakarmata  Basti  about the situation there regarding sanitation, 

food availability, etc.  

We  also  contacted  Neerja  ma'am,  a  teacher  in  the  government  primary  school  near  HG,  so  that 
we  could  get  contacts  of  students  but  since  they  were  in  school  she  was  unable  to  give  us  the 
data.  

We  helped  a  dhobi  bhaiya  who  was  diagnosed  with  paralysis  by  establishing  contact  between 
him  and  the  Emergency  Response  Team lead by some of our alumni including Dr. Munish Bindal, 
Mr.Bhimlendra Jha.  

We  planned  to  sanitize  the  hotspot  region  of  Nasir  Pur  village  a  local  basti  near  our  campus by 
providing the required information to team Banaras.  

We  also  plan  to  conduct  a  health  and  sanitation  related  awareness  program  after  the  institute 
reopens. 

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9. Emergency Education team 

After brainstorming on the impact on education due to the lockdown, a group of
volunteers worked on making a toll-free number, by which students ho can’t afford data
can also learn. The needed ground research on students’ temperament, ground
scenario, the technical and economical costs was done. The setback the team had, was
it paused during the online end semester evaluation, followed by important people
getting engaged with jobs and interns. It was also realized that taming the students to
study during this lockdown period is was challenge in itself.

   

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Conclusion 
Avant-Garde:  ​With  the  un-conventional  being  emerged,  a  new  set  of  ideas, and kind of progress 
were  tested  and  adapted,  in  which  some  did  create  impact  and  progress,  while  few  failed  to 
produce  the  desired  outcomes,  unveiling  that  new  form  of  actions  and  works  can  arise  from 
already existed venerable principles.  

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